Turning anti-ageing genes against cancer.
Recent studies in diverse organisms implicate proto-oncogenic pathways, including insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), Ras and AKT/protein kinase B in the ageing process. Although IGF-I is thought to contribute to cancer by promoting growth and preventing apoptosis, evidence from model organisms suggests that proto-oncogene homologues might contribute to the DNA mutations and chromosomal damage that are observed in tumour cells by increasing DNA damage, in both dividing and non-dividing cells, and involving error-prone systems in DNA repair. This raises the possibility that cancer can be reduced by chronic downregulation of pro-ageing pathways.
Longo
Valter D
VD
Andrus Gerontology Center, Molecular and Computational Biology Department, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90089-0191, USA. vlongo@usc.edu
Lieber
Michael R
MR
Vijg
Jan
J
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004260:DNA Repair; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D015398:Signal Transduction
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I